• MUSG will hold its 9th annual Night of Chocolate tonight in the Alumni Memorial Union
• The event will include chocolate fountains, cheesecake and other assorted sweets
• It will also include live jazz music

With images of chocolate fountains, cheesecake and other assorted sweets dancing in their minds, chocoholics across campus are already salivating in anticipation of Marquette Student Government's 9th annual Night of Chocolate.

This year's event is entitled, "A Sweet Soiree," and will be held today from 9 to 11 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Union ballrooms.

Night of Chocolate will include dark, white and milk chocolate fountains, cakes, cheesecake and an ice cream bar. Organizers will also provide guests with pound cake, marshmallows and a variety of fruit to dip into the chocolate fountains.

The event will include live jazz music, and the ballrooms will be decorated in navy and silver. Students are also encouraged to dress in semi-formal attire to create an upscale, classy environment for the event, said Megan Guilfoyle, MUSG special events commissioner and a senior in the College of Communication, in an e-mail.

"The overall atmosphere of Night of Chocolate is elegant and fun at the same time," Guilfoyle said in an e-mail. "It's a great social outlet for students to partake in."

Guilfoyle said 500 tickets were made available for this year's event. Tickets will be on sale for $5 each through today in the Brooks Lounge. Guilfoyle said many previous Night of Chocolate events have sold out due to popularity.

"It brings a different atmosphere from the typical mundane things students do on a weeknight," Guilfoyle said in an email. "Because it only happens once a year, students always anticipate this event."

According to Associate Dean of Student Development and MUSG adviser Jon Dooley, Night of Chocolate originally began in 2000 as a free event. However, as the years went on the event gained popularity, formality and live music, and grew to attract hundreds of students, said Dooley.

Becca Rusk, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, said she attended last year's event and found that many people were underdressed. Although she was slightly disappointed by some attendees' attire, Rusk said she still found the event both fun and delicious.

Rusk said she plans to attend Night of Chocolate again this year to get her chocolate fix and enjoy a fun night with friends.

"I really like chocolate, so it was a lot of fun," Rusk said. "The chocolate was good quality, and they had more than enough."

Liz LaJeunesse, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, said although she didn't attend Night of Chocolate last year, she plans to attend this year to enjoy the combination of sweets and fun.

"I want to go this year because I love chocolate," LaJeunesse said. "It'll be fun because it's a social thing you can do with friends, and chocolate makes everything more fun."